Team Surya Runs for Charity

Home Textiles Today Staff -- Home Textiles Today, 11/19/2012 2:00:00 AM

From left to right: Russell Turner “Turner Homestores”; Lynde Worley; Kurt Von De Bur; Megan Nyman; Eric Nyman; Parvati Kakodkar; Seth King; Sandeep Luke; Satya Tiwari; and Kevin Von De Bur.CALHOUN, GA. - A team from rugs and accessories source Surya ran a half marathon race in Atlanta last month to raise more than $29,000 for Ashkaya Patra, a group that helps provide meals for children in rural India.
     The non-governmental organization serves more than 1.3 million children. For many of them, an Akshaya Patra-provided lunch might be their only complete meal of the day, and acts as an incentive for parents to keep their children in school.
     Surya became involved with the organization earlier this year, donating $250,000, enough to help provide thousands of children with healthy meals for an entire year.
     Surya President Satya Tiwari decided to use the Oct. 7 Atlanta AllState Half-Marathon to further the cause. He and a team of Surya employees ran the race and enlisted the help of family, friends, customers and the local community in raising donations for the program, dubbed Miles for Meals.
     In raising more than $29,000, the group exceeded its initial goal by over $4,000. The donations will help Ashkaya Patra feed 1,941 children over the coming year, officials said.
     "I want to personally thank all of those who donated their time and money towards this amazing cause. Growing up in northern India, I saw the desperate need that still exists in so many communities for the healthy food and educational opportunities that can so easily be taken for granted," said Tiwari.
     More information about Akshaya Patra and how to donate is on Surya's Miles for Meals site at http://www.razoo.com/story/Suryamilesformeals.